Deputy President of the Senate, Sen. Barau Jibrin, has urged Gov. Abba Kabir Yusuf of Kano State to avoid politicising security matters and focus on addressing the challenges facing the state.
Barau was reacting to a statement by the state government alleging that his recent comments could undermine ongoing security operations.
In a statement issued by his media aide, Ismail Mudashir, the Deputy Senate President dismissed the allegation and asked the state government to present evidence of any remark capable of worsening insecurity in Kano.
He said insecurity across the country, including bandit activities affecting parts of Kano, required collaboration among stakeholders.
“The attention of the media office has been drawn to claims by the Kano State Government that Senator Barau made statements capable of undermining security efforts. At no time did he make such comments,” the statement said.
Barau said he had consistently supported security agencies and worked with relevant stakeholders to address insecurity challenges both in Kano and other parts of the country.
He urged Gov. Yusuf to prioritise governance and take steps to restore the state’s development trajectory.
“Until governance was relegated to the background, Kano used to be a close second to Lagos in terms of prosperity. We have what it takes to restore those days, but necessary actions are not being taken,” he said.
Barau also highlighted various support initiatives he facilitated for security agencies, including provision of operational vehicles and motorcycles to police formations, renovation of police facilities, and construction of police stations.
According to him, he has also supported the Department of State Services (DSS) and facilitated the establishment of several security training institutions in Gwarzo, Kabo and Bichi.
He added that solar-powered streetlights were installed across communities in his senatorial district to aid security patrols.
Barau advised the state government to emulate efforts aimed at improving security rather than making allegations against his person.
